Kim Jong-un met China's No. 4 official Wang Huning, not Premier Li Qiang, ruling party lawmaker says

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met Wang Huning, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and the country's No. 4 official, during his visit to China on Saturday — not Premier Li Qiang, who ranks second in the Chinese leadership hierarchy — a ruling party official said.

Yoon Geon-young, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker who leads his party's side on the National Assembly's intelligence committee, said he had received an additional briefing from the National Intelligence Service indicating that the original plan had called for Li Qiang to meet with Kim, but that the arrangement was later changed.

"It has been confirmed that Chairman Kim did not meet Premier Li Qiang but rather met Chairman Wang Huning," Yoon said.

Earlier that day, Yoon had announced through a press notice that the NIS had confirmed Kim met Li Qiang in China.

Yoon also said it was nearly certain that Kim's visit to China would be a same-day trip. China's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that Kim left Dandong that evening, seen off by Wang.

Xinhua said Wang had welcomed Kim upon his arrival in Dandong and accompanied him throughout the visit.